Description
Take a step to introduce this faith and sexuality curriculum to your community!
This program will offer Training for facilitators to lead the Middle/High School program, which covers curriculum for two levels: Grades 7-9 and 10-12.
Registration is now open for this facilitator training at Silver Lake Camp and Retreat Center.
Participants must be 21 years of age or older.
Please note that the training is not child-friendly, and participants are expected to make arrangements for childcare.
Implementing the nation’s most highly regarded sexuality education curriculum is a big responsibility. Training prepares facilitators to succeed in their role and enables your faith development team members to understand their own and others’ sexuality within the context of United Church of Christ values.
Training Benefits for Congregations
Improves Our Whole Lives program quality and outreach potential
Grounds facilitators in Our Whole Lives values and social justice emphasis
Decreases incidents of inappropriate boundaries and poor implementation
Prepares facilitators to address parent/caregiver questions
Readies facilitators to lead two grade levels of Our Whole Lives in one training
Enables facilitators to represent your program to media and your community
Training Benefits for Facilitators
Curriculum overview and implementation guidance
Facilitation practice
Recommendations for addressing special education and behavioral challenges
Clarification of facilitator/parent/participant roles
Education in placing sexuality in a religious and spiritual context
Access to Sexuality and Our Faith visuals (for secondary levels)
Self-assessment of comfort and readiness to facilitate
Trainer assessment and feedback
Access to Our Whole Lives email list for peer support
Pricing:
Cost is $525 per person which includes program costs, lodging in the Retreat Center (see below), and 6 meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. Space is limited to 16 participants.
A Commuter rate of $425 is available, if needed. Commuters will have all meals on site with the group. Commuters are asked to make their own arrangements for overnight accommodations.
There is a discounted rate of $475 ($380 for commuter) for participants from congregations in the Southern New England Conference of the UCC (SNEUCC), thanks to your congregation's proportional giving to Our Church's Wider Mission.
A deposit of $200 per person is due at the time of registration to reserve your spot. The full balance is due at least 30 days in advance of the program, and reminders will be emailed in advance.
Cancellation Policy:
If you need to cancel, a written (email) notification must be received at least 60 days prior to the start date (before September 14, 2025) in order to insure a full refund.
For cancellations after 60 days and up to 30 days prior, 50% of your deposit or $100 will be charged.
For cancellations less than 30 days prior [October 14, 2025 or later], the full deposit amount of $200 will be charged.
In the event there is a waiting list, and your space can be filled, a full refund may be awarded after the event.
Preparation Work:
Each participant is asked do some preparation work which includes viewing two videos and writing short reflections (approximately 3.5 hours of work).
These two reflections and the signed covenant should be returned to Facilitators one week in advance of the session.
The training requires participants to bring the appropriate curriculum and religious supplements and to read these materials before arriving at the training. If you do not already have access to them, you may purchase them by contacting the UUA Bookstore (https://uuabookstore.org/) or UCC Resources (https://www.uccresources.com/).
Please leave enough time to receive and review the materials prior to the beginning of the training.
Evaluation of Prospective Facilitators
This training has an evaluation component. The Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith trainers have a responsibility to ensure the quality of the facilitators who will implement the program in our congregations. During the weekend, they will not only be training you but also evaluating you on your facilitation skills, comfort with the material, and behavioral appropriateness. Their main goal is to train you to be good Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith facilitators. During the training, if they have any concerns about your abilities to teach the program or to uphold the Our Whole Lives values, they will speak to you first to see if the concerns can be addressed. At the end of the training you will be approved (or not approved) to teach Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith at these age levels.
If you are approved for Grades 7-9 and 10-12, your congregation can purchase the Sexuality and Our Faith visuals that go with the age group you trained for, if applicable.
Please order through www.UUABookstore.org or the UCC by contacting the Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice at owl@ucc.org.
Facility Information:
The entire Retreat Center building will be reserved for the OWL Training.
The Participants (up to 16) will have double-occupancy lodging, and shared single-occupancy hall restrooms.
The main common room of the building will be used for the training/classroom sessions.
All participants must bring their own bedding for a twin bed (sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.), towel and toiletries.
Linens will be available to rent for an additional fee.
Participants can opt-in as part of the registration process.
Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center staff will be on site for the duration of the OWL Training.
All meals will be provided by Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center and will be served in the Cedars Dining Room, starting with Friday dinner at 6pm.
Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center is in an area with very little cell phone coverage.
In addition, only a few of the buildings (The Cedars, The Lodge, The Retreat Center, and the main office – Health and Welcome Center) have internet access.
SLCRC is working to add internet across the site and is hopeful this will be in place for the fall 2025 retreat season.
Accommodations will be at Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center; however, you are welcome to make your own arrangements, if you wish.
The “Silver Lake No’s” always apply to everyone on site (campers, volunteers, staff, guests, visitors, etc.):
No alcohol or illegal drugs
No pets
No smoking
No fireworks
No sexual misconduct
No aggressive behavior or bullying
No weapons